Calvin Klein Collection / Fall 2011 RTW

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Francisco Costa’s fall collection for Calvin Klein carried with it a certain stillness. It started with the sound track, James Blake’s dreamlike “The Wilhelm Scream.” It continued with the models—expressionless, and one after another in shades of white, gray, or wheat—who appeared to levitate evenly down the aisle (the thick white sole of their pumps did put them a few inches above the ground). The clothes didn’t seem to move even as the wearer did, so when sleeve lengths met jacket hems, it made a continuous and hypnotic horizontal line upon which it was easy for the eye to fixate. (Admittedly, the show also fell at the end of New York Fashion Week when everyone is already feeling a little zoned.)

The looks felt very Calvin in that minimal, somewhat architectural sense, but what was missing was the ease and sensuality that worked so beautifully last season. The double-faced fabrics were structured but a little too stiff, and alpaca, though luxurious, isn’t necessarily fluid. The silhouettes stood away from the body, but somehow the looseness felt constricting. It was different with evening. Here, Costa’s quiet sensibility was a welcome breather from the endless track of billowing trains we’ve seen elsewhere. There is a woman who, when she goes out, prefers to throw on a metallic jacquard T-shirt dress rather than deal with the drama of fifteen yards of chiffon. Evening is where, season after season, Costa consistently excels. It seems that as he loosens up, so go his clothes.